The Three Families of Moroccan Tile
One clay,
three traditions
Every tile we make begins as clay from the earth around Fez — which makes it, in the truest sense, ceramic. From that single origin, three distinct families emerge. Knowing them is the key to choosing the right tile for your project.
Zellij, terracotta, and hand-painted are not three products so much as three ways of working the same clay. One is glazed and cut into geometry. One is shaped before it ever meets the fire. One is painted freehand. Each is hand-made in our own workshop in Fez, and each carries the Zellige de Fès mark of authentic craft.
Zellij
A clay tile, glazed in mineral colour, then hand-marked and chisel-cut with a tranchet into precise geometric shapes. The 5-inch glazed tile is the mother tile — the source. From it we also cut the 2×2 and 4×4 field formats and the interlocking shapes that assemble into mosaics.
If it is a Moroccan mosaic, it began as zellij.
Terracotta
Everything formed and preshaped before baking — bejmat, pavers and preformed pieces. Warm, grounded and textural, terracotta keeps the raw character of the earth it came from. Made for floors, courtyards and spaces that favour depth over gloss.
Hand-Painted
Glazed terracotta in 4×4 and 6×6, painted freestyle by hand with traditional motifs, then fired to set the colour for good. No two are ever identical — the brush, not a machine, makes every decision. The most expressive face of the tradition.
How zellij becomes mosaic
Not sure which family fits your project?
Tell us about your space and we’ll point you to the right tile — with samples in hand before you decide. We respond to every inquiry within 24 hours.